Locking device for a pistol

ABSTRACT

The invention concerns a blocking device for a pistol with a trigger, a trigger mechanism and a firing pin, hammer or the like operated by these.  
     The invention is characterized by the fact that a cylindrical lock ( 3 ) is arranged in the grip of the weapon behind the magazine shaft, whose closing cylinder can be rotated with a key ( 7 ), that a transmission mechanism ( 6,4 ), which includes rods, levers, threading and the like, brings a blocking element ( 9 ) from a position in which it is situated outside the movement path of a part of the trigger mechanism of the weapon to a position in which it extends into the movement path of this part.

[0001] The invention concerns a blocking device for a pistol.

[0002] For various reasons, there is a strong requirement to ensure thecapability that each pistol can only be used by the person authorizedfor it.

[0003] To ensure this, weapons are kept in stable, lockable containersthat can only be opened by the person who has the key. However, this isessentially only theft prevention and is just marginally connected tothe problems underlying the invention. These problems concern, inparticular, but not exclusively, persons who carry firearms because oftheir occupation, but only seldom find themselves during their duties insituations in which they must have the weapon ready to fire. Theseinclude policemen, criminal investigators, security guards and similarsuch employees.

[0004] Another situation obtains when the weapon cannot be stored in alocked cabinet, for example, during transport to an exercise, or if, forsome reason, it is supposed to be readily available, but no situation ispresent in which its use is to be possible at any time. In suchsituations, the weapon, for example, can be worn in a holster andbrought in a very short time from a condition in which no shot can befired to a condition in which firing is possible, in which case thischange is only to be executed by those authorized to do so.

[0005] Devices that achieve this objective are known in weapons andrevolvers.

[0006] Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,553,877 A demonstrates a weapon, in which atype of locking tab extends into the motion path of the trigger slide,which tab can be brought by means of a key from this position into aposition in which movement of the trigger slide is not adverselyaffected. This mechanism is as bulky as the entire trigger mechanism,which plays no role in weapons with a big shaft, but preventsapplication in pistols and revolvers.

[0007] U.S. Pat. No. 4,136,475 A demonstrates a similar device adaptedfor revolvers, in which the lock and locking mechanism are accommodatedin the grip of the revolver. Since the revolver grip with its entirevolume is available for this purpose, it is possible with this device toaccommodate such a blocking device, but accommodating it in the grip ofa pistol in which the magazine is situated is ruled out. To this we mustadd that the slide is situated directly above the grip in pistols and nospace is therefore available there for a blocking device.

[0008] For these reasons, no blocking device for pistols is thus farknown and it is the objective of the invention to devise one. It shouldbe pointed out that the title of the description and the introductorypart of claim 1 represent a fictitious prior art to the extent that theyassert that blocking devices for pistols are already available in theprior art. This wording was chosen merely for reasons of clarity andbetter readability.

[0009] For this purpose, according to the invention, a miniaturizedcylindrical lock is arranged in the grip of the weapon behind themagazine and whose closing cylinder can be rotated with a key, and, by arotary movement by means of a transmission mechanism that can includerods, levers, threading, etc., a blocking element can be brought from aposition in which it is situated outside the movement path of part ofthe trigger mechanism of the weapon into a position in which it extendsinto the movement path of this part during the trigger movement.

[0010] Cylindrical locks are known per se and are excellently suited forthe present purpose because they are quite stable mechanically even inminiaturized form and permit the use of keys, also in miniaturized form,which have a large number of key-lock combinations, so that it ispossible to use several thousand different keys even in such small locksand thus reduce the hazard of inadvertent fitting of a key.

[0011] The rotational movement of the closing cylinder can be convertedinto a translatory movement by means of a torsion bar and a type ofreversed nut-spindle design, through which translatory movementultimately a protrusion, a tab, a slide or the like is pushed far enoughso that it extends into the path of the firing pin tab and preventsrelease of the shot.

[0012] Naturally, it is possible to act on a different part of thetrigger mechanism, for example, the blade, but acting on part of thetrigger mechanism as close as possible to the firing pin (or, in hammerpistols, in the region of the hammer) is advantageous, since the safetyof the weapon and blocking is increased in the best possible manner.

[0013] In one embodiment, it is also proposed to incorporate the deviceso that it can only be disassembled free of disturbance with cooperationof the corresponding key, in order to prevent a stolen weapon from beingbroken down (removal of the slide) and the safety mechanism thendisassembled.

[0014] It is proposed in another embodiment that, depending on theposition of rotation of the closure cylinder, an indicator pin orindicator plate should extend through a slit in the housing of theweapon, preferably in the rear region of the grip, and indicate bothoptically and by touch whether the weapon is blocked or released.

[0015] The invention is further explained below with reference to thedrawing. In the drawing,

[0016]FIG. 1 shows a weapon equipped with a blocking device according tothe invention without the slit, in cross section along the center planeof the weapon,

[0017]FIGS. 2 and 3 show details II and III of FIG. 1,

[0018]FIG. 4 shows a part of the known trigger mechanism of a pistol,provided with a blocking device according to the invention in the openposition,

[0019]FIG. 5 shows the depiction of FIG. 4 in the blocked position,

[0020]FIG. 6 shows the mechanism of FIGS. 4 and 5 in a perspective viewand

[0021]FIG. 7 shows a hammer pistol equipped according to the invention.

[0022] A blocking device according to the invention is apparent fromFIG. 1, showing that the invention makes it possible to incorporate areliable blocking device even in pistols, with very limited spacerequirements. A blocking device 14 according to the invention isaccommodated in the housing 1 of a pistol with a grip 2, which has ashaft 26 for a magazine, in the rear region of grip 2.

[0023] The blocking device 14 consists essentially of a cylindrical lock3 arranged in the lower region of grip 2, which lock can be operatedwith a corresponding key 7, i.e., the closing cylinder can only berotated when a key 7 is inserted. The rotational movement of the closingcylinder is transmitted to a rotating rod 6 and a converter 4 arrangedin the upper region of grip 2, which is further described below withreference to FIG. 2, and converted to a translatory movement that causesa blocking plate 9 (FIGS. 4 and 5) to be situated either, as shown inFIG. 4, in a lower position that releases the weapon, or into a blockingposition pushed upward. Before going into the additional effect ofdisplacement of the blocking plate 9, the region between lock 3 androtating rod 6, on the one hand, and the region of converter 4, on theother, will be further explained.

[0024]FIG. 3 shows the region of the lock 3 of the blocking device 14according to the invention in an axial section with the key 7 inserted.In the fully inserted state of key 7 in lock 3, the closing cylinder canbe rotated around its rotational axis and thereby entrains the lower endof the rotating rod 6 that runs normal to the axis of rotation in alongitudinal slit. In order to arrive at defined stops for the rotatingcylinder during the opening or rotational movement, a moving stop isprovided in the depicted example, which permits rotation of the key by360°, so that it poses no problem for the user to find the correctrotational position for removal of the key.

[0025] The design of this rotatable stop is the object of an Austrianpatent application filed on the same day as this application with thefile number A 354/2001, whose contents are included in the contents ofthe present application by reference. Other designs that can also beused, at least with restrictions, are known from U.S. Pat. No. 1,487,900A and U.S. Pat. No. 2,276,655 A. The contents of these two documents arealso made contents of the present application by reference.

[0026] An indicator 8, which in the blocked position of blocking device14 emerges outward through a slit-like recess in the rear region of grip2 and therefore indicates to the user both optically and by touch duringhandling of the weapon that the weapon is in the blocked state and thatno shot can be fired, is connected to the movable stop.

[0027]FIG. 2 shows the upper region of the rotating rod 6, the converter4, which is called this because the rotational movement of the rotatingrod 6 is converted in converter 4 to a translatory movement of theblocking plate 9. This conversion occurs through a threaded piece 16positioned rotationally fixed, but axially movable on the lance-like,flattened tip 17 of rotating rod 6 and cooperates with its threadedsection 18 arranged on the outer surface with a not shown protrusion ofthe hole 19 of a connector mount 22, in which the threaded piece 16sits. The connector mount 22 carries a driver pin 28 that moves anoperating device 29 for the blocking plate 9. Through these components,the converter 4 operates in similar fashion to a spindle-nut device, inwhich the rotational movement of the spindle is also converted to atranslatory movement of the nut.

[0028] The rotary movement of the threaded piece 16 thus causestranslatory movement of the operating device 29, so that its directionof motion need not fully coincide with the direction of rotating rod 6or with the direction of the rotational axis of threaded piece 16 andsignificant deviations are quite possible.

[0029] The operating device 29 carries the actual blocking plate 9 onits side facing away from converter 4, which plate is forced into ablocking position by a spring (not shown) and brought into the releaseposition against the force of this spring by the operating device 29.Because of this, even with extensive destruction of the blockingmechanism, this is held in the blocking position and the weapon remainsinoperable.

[0030] In the blocked position of blocking plate 9, a stepped holdingsurface (FIGS. 4 and 5) formed on it prevents a trigger tab 10 of thetrigger mechanism, designated 13 in its entirety, from moving downwardduring operation of the trigger 27 (FIG. 7). This downward movement ofthe trigger tab 10 and the clamping edge 12 connected to it (FIG. 1)permits the firing pin tab 11, extending downward from the slit (notshown), to be released and accelerated toward the cartridge (to theright in FIG. 1) under the influence of the firing pin spring (notshown), thus releasing the shot.

[0031] It is apparent from the aforementioned that there are manyappropriate sites, including always a best possible one, at which theblocking device according to the invention can engage for each of thenumerous trigger mechanisms of different pistols, revolvers and otherfirearms, so that, on the one hand, space is saved and, on the otherhand, unduly large forces do not occur at this site during pulling,which, under some circumstances, could overcome the blocking device ormake it unusable.

[0032] The trigger device 13 depicted in FIGS. 1 to 6 corresponds to thetrigger devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,539,889 A, U.S. Pat. No.4,825,744 A and U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,546 A, the disclosure of thesedocuments being included in the disclosure of the present application byreference.

[0033] The depicted blocking device 14 is also characterized by the factthat, even when the weapon is broken down, i.e., with the slide removed,as shown in FIG. 1, it is not possible to disassemble it, regardless ofits momentary blocking or open position, as long as the matching key isnot available. This is achieved by the following features: the upperregion of blocking device 17, together with the threaded piece 16, isheld by a retaining pin 20 in the direction of rotating rod 6,specifically by a recess 21 in the connector mount 22. The recess 21 hasan essentially circular shape and opens downward (toward rotating rod 6)with a radially running slit 25. Only when the retaining pin 20 lies inthe direction of slit 25 is it possible to separate the rotating rod 6from the threaded piece 16.

[0034] The direction of slit 25 is chosen according to the invention sothat it does not coincide with either the open position or the blockedposition, but with an intermediate position. This intermediate positioncan only be reached with the inserted key 7, since the key can only bewithdrawn in the open position or blocked position.

[0035] As is apparent from FIG. 7, it is possible without problem toapply the invention to a hammer pistol as well. For example, a blockingtab 9′ can extend into a notch, recess 24, etc. of a part that isrotated with hammer 23, in order to block the weapon. Naturally, a typeof kinematic reversal is also possible, in which a protrusion on hammer23 cooperates with a corresponding surface of the blocking tab 9′. Inthis variant, the blocking tab 9′ can be forced under the influence of aspring into the movement path of recess 24, when this is desired.

[0036] In similar fashion, it is possible to design a blocking deviceaccording to the invention for weapons of all types without it beingnecessary to use a special trigger mechanism. For revolvers this isdirectly apparent for one skilled in the art, especially with respect toFIG. 7; for other firearms, for example, rifles, it is quite possibleand sometimes desirable to arrange the lock in the shaft or bolt and toallow a blocking part to extend into the movement path of a componentconnected to the hammer by rotating the closing cylinder. Indouble-barreled shotguns, a common blocking can be implemented by acorrespondingly shaped blocking part that can lie between the twobarrels (but not necessarily in their plane). Blocking based on rotationis not necessary in this case to convert the rotary movement of theclosing cylinder to a translatory movement, but it is naturally possibleto also choose the blocking movement to be translatory in these areas ofapplication.

[0037] Both metal, for example, steel, especially for rotating rod 6,and plastic can be used for the blocking device material according tothe invention and, in particular, the connector mount 22, the threadedpiece 16 and other parts can consist of plastic and the lock 3 and itscylinder, as well as key, can be purchased in a shop in the form of aprecision part.

1. Blocking device for a pistol with a trigger (27), a trigger mechanism(13) and a firing pin, hammer (23) or the like operated by them,characterized by the fact that the blocking mechanism consists of acylindrical lock (3) arranged in the grip of the weapon, whose closingcylinder (15) can be rotated with a key (7), in which a transmissionmechanism (6, 4), which includes rods, levers, threading and the like,brings a blocking element (9) from a position in which it is situatedoutside the movement path of a part (10) of the trigger mechanism (13)of the weapon into a position in which it extends into the movement pathof this part (13), and that the cylindrical lock (3) and at least partof the transmission mechanism are arranged behind the magazine shaft(26).
 2. Blocking device according to claim 1, characterized by the factthat the rotational axis of the cylindrical lock (3) runs at leastessentially parallel to the axis of the magazine shaft (26).
 3. Blockingdevice according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by the fact that thetransmission mechanism includes a threaded piece (16) and a connectormount (22) that cooperates with it, through which the rotationalmovement of the closing cylinder (15) is converted to a translatorymovement of the blocking element (9).
 4. Blocking device according toclaim 3, characterized by the fact that the rotational movement of theclosing cylinder is transferred to the threaded piece (16) by means of arotating rod (6).
 5. Blocking device according to claim 4, characterizedby the fact that the rotating rod (6) carries an essentially radiallyrunning pin (20) that rotates in a recess (21) of the connector mount(22), and that the recess (21) is connected to its surroundings by meansof an essentially radially running slit (25).
 6. Blocking deviceaccording to one of claims 2-5 for a hammer pistol, characterized by thefact that a blocking tab (9′) extends into a notch, recess (24), etc. ofa part that rotates together with hammer (23).
 7. Blocking deviceaccording to one of the preceding claims, characterized by the fact thatan indicator (8) that extends outward through a slit in housing (1) ofthe weapon in the blocked position of the blocking device (14) isprovided on lock (3).